Books I have read: The Entitlement Cure

I’d heard many good things about Dr. John Townsend and his work with Dr. Henry Cloud, so I was keen to read The Entitlement Cure when offered by the Book Sneeze Bloggers scheme. Townsend has a background as a psychologist, counsellor and leadership consultant often working with broken families and Fortune 500 companies in the same week.

The book takes as its concept that people need to learn to live life the hard way. Too many people focus on the idea that life should be nice to us. We live in an age of entitlement: “the belief that I am exempt from responsibility and I am owed special treatment.” We see it everywhere, from employees who don’t feel the need to work, to self-centred children, to narcissists to prima donnas in leadership – and in ourselves.

The Entitlement Cure equips both those of us who can see a sense of entitlement within our own life – what Townsend describes as “pocket entitlement” but also those who are dealing with someone who acts entitled. The various chapters discuss motivation, discipline and structure, creating a helpful self-image, assuming responsibility, doing hard things first, keeping inconvenient commitments, respecting the future, admitting errors, facing up to pain, and taking meaningful risks. Each chapter finishes with a number of skills to live life the hard way, and some reflective questions to take time to ask yourself.

This is certainly in my Top 5 books so far of 2015. It contains huge amounts of wisdom that anyone can benefit from.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.